If you’ve ever side-eyed someone hiking backwards up a hill, guess what—they might actually be way ahead of the curve, so to speak. “There is no doubt that walking (in any direction) leads to health benefits that not only support cardiorespiratory fitness, but also enhance longevity, bone health, and reduce the risk of chronic age-related diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer,” ACE Certified Trainer Chris Gagliardi tells Best Life. “Walking can also improve function, pain, sleep, mental health, and resilience. In addition to these benefits walking backwards can also improve balance, walking speed, and cardiorespiratory fitness to a greater extent.” Here’s how walking backwards impacts not just your fitness but your weight loss efforts.
RELATED: Experts Reveal the Health Benefits of a Daily Afternoon Walk.
Keeping You On Your Toes
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Walking forwards doesn’t require much thought—you just do it, whereas walking backwards can provide a new challenge. “Walking backward isn’t as natural as walking forward, so we work harder physically and concentrate more to do it,” exercise physiologist Jordan Boreman, MS, tells the Cleveland Clinic. “Walking is great exercise, but any type of exercise requires variation to avoid overusing certain muscles. Walking backward can add some cross-training to your walking or jogging routine… Backward walking uses more of your gluteal muscles, quadriceps and hip flexors than forward walking. Your contact points through your legs and ankles get an extra challenge because they have to help you balance.”
Low Impact, High Benefits
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Retro walking has benefits for those who find more intense workouts a challenge—for example, those with disabilities or injuries. “Compared with walking forward a retro walking program can lead to greater reductions in pain and functional disability and improved quadriceps functionality and strength in individuals with knee osteoarthritis,” Gagliardi says. “Retro walking may also be more effective than forward walking for decreasing BMI, C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation), and blood pressure in individuals with overweight and obesity. While walking in any direction can be beneficial in many populations, retro walking may be superior to forward walking.”
Burning More Calories
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Burning more calories than you’re taking in is key to weight loss, and walking backwards has a higher metabolic equivalent of task (MET) than walking forwards. “Backward walking is an entirely different movement than you’re used to, so your body has to adapt and adjust,” Boreman says. “As your muscles move in different ways, your heart rate increases, which can help you burn more calories. Moderate walking is about 3.5 METs and backward walking is 6 METs. This tells us that walking backward requires a lot more energy — and therefore, it can burn more calories.”
Use a Treadmill
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A treadmill is the ideal way to start walking backwards if you’re not used to it. “If you walk indoors on a treadmill, it’s a great opportunity to incorporate some backward walking with assistance,” fitness expert and personal trainer Stephanie Mansour says via TODAY. “Since treadmills have handrails, they provide more stability and will help with balance as you get used to the new movement. Step on the treadmill backward, start the belt at a low speed (slower than you typically walk forward), and rest your hands lightly on the handrails before stepping on the belt.”
Use a Sled
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Sports therapist Daine McKibben Rice says combining retro walking with strength training can give a “killer” glute and hamstring workout. “Try using a sled with a belt attached, and simply walk backwards for 10-15 yards,” Rice tells Men’s Health. “You won’t be disappointed. Or if you don’t have this, try walking on a treadmill without switching it on, and let your legs move the treadmill belt.”
